For some reason, it is generally accepted that in summer the fat accumulated during the winter evaporates on its own due to an active lifestyle. It doesn't matter how it is! Many of us, by taking off our light shorts and baggy sundresses at the end of the season, find that we have gained a lot of weight. Immediately, one remembers fun barbecue outings, and cozy get-togethers at an ice cream parlor, and exotic delicacies tasted at a foreign resort.
But this is not the time to get discouraged, you must act! August-September is the time of watermelon, and the sugar pulp of a striped berry is not only tasty, but also useful for those who dream of losing weight. Nutritionists call the watermelon diet one of the most effective and gentle. During it, you will not have to deal with the excruciating feeling of hunger that interferes with life and work. You just need to follow the diet, and the positive dynamics will not take long.
What is the effectiveness of the watermelon diet?
Watermelon pulp is a repository of valuable micro and macro elements, vitamins and organic acids. The iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and sodium salts it contains have a beneficial effect on the activity of the digestive, hematopoietic and cardiovascular systems. Watermelon fiber helps cleanse the body of toxins and eliminate harmful cholesterol. The acid-base balance is regulated by the presence of alkaline compounds in the product and the pectin fibers normalize intestinal motility. Also, regular consumption of watermelon is an excellent cancer prevention.
How to calculate the portion
No matter how invaluable the benefits of watermelon are, the uncontrolled consumption of juicy pulp, as, indeed, of any product, can have disastrous consequences: diarrhea, nausea, and severe stomach pains.
The formula to calculate an individual daily ration is simple: 1 kg of watermelon pulp for every 10 kg of weight. That is, if you weigh 60 kg, without risk to health, you can not eat more than 6 kg of watermelon, of course, not at one time, but dividing it into equal portions.
Watermelon diet options
If you are afraid that during the diet you need to eat only watermelon pulp, then this is not the case. The striped miracle berry works well with other foods, allowing you to diversify the menu. Choose the version of the watermelon diet that's right for you:
- With melon: the famous aromatic relative, the melon, helps the sugar "bun". During this diet, you eat light, low-calorie foods (low-fat cottage cheese, hard cheese, lean meats, vegetables) and melon slices serve as a healthy snack.
- With kefir: very good in the heat of summer. In 3 days, consume only the pulp of a striped berry and kefir-zero (you can take 1%). The interval between meals is 3 hours.
- With black bread: a good option for those who miss flour during a diet. You simply alternate slices of watermelon with rye toast and you become almost 1 kg lighter per day. The duration of the course is 10 days.
- With cucumber: for 2 weeks you only eat watermelons and cucumbers (1 kg per day). It is allowed to "dilute" the daily menu with 1-2 rye toasts and a glass of zero yogurt.
- With Rice: This option only allows watermelon and rice (parboiled, wild or whole). Daily standard of products: rice - 100 g, watermelon pulp - no more than 1 kg per 20 kg of weight.
- With cottage cheese - the optimal weight loss program for lovers of desserts. For breakfast and afternoon tea, eat low-fat cottage cheese (150-200 g each), and for the rest of your meals, savor the pulp of a striped berry.
- With buckwheat porridge: an option that allows you to lose weight without feeling hungry. Buckwheat (1 kg per day) in oil-free water, watermelon (no more than 5 kg per day), fresh vegetable salads and non-alcoholic non-carbonated drinks (green and herbal tea, lemon water) are allowed without sugar.
- Watermelon protein is the ideal diet for meat eaters. It is allowed to eat lean meat, low-fat fish, watermelon (2 kg per day) and dairy products (low-fat yogurt, fat-free kefir, 1% milk). The optimal duration of the course is 10 days.
If you are on a watermelon diet, keep in mind that a weight loss course first of all means giving up starchy foods, sweets, salt, carbonated and alcoholic beverages. Coffee lovers can replace their morning tea with a cup of their favorite beverage.
Duration of the watermelon diet
So, the decision to lose weight was made. Now assess the magnitude of the problem (the number of extra pounds) and your own willpower. Now choose a course of suitable duration:
- 1, 2 or 3 days is a hard but effective discharge from the body, during which it is allowed to consume only watermelon pulp and liquid (water, green tea).
- 5, 7, 10 or 14 days - gentler programs in which watermelon "works as a team" with other products.
Try not to show excessive fanaticism, because only an absolutely healthy person can withstand a long course of a mono-diet (the watermelon diet is like that) without unpleasant consequences.
Menu
According to many slimmers, the most successful of the watermelon diet courses is the five-day one, which allows you to use, in addition to watermelons, other low-calorie foods.
This is what your eating plan will look like for this period:
Day 1
First breakfast:
- half a glass of tea (preferably green) or plain still water;
- 1 boiled chicken egg;
- a small portion of any porridge in the water.
Second breakfast: 2-3 slices of watermelon.
Dinner:
- salad (cucumbers + tomatoes) with olive oil;
- 200 g of lean fish;
- Green Tea.
Snack: watermelon slices.
Dinner (3-4 hours before bedtime): watermelon.
Day 2
First breakfast:
- 200 g of unsweetened cottage cheese without sugar;
- 2-3 slices of watermelon;
- half a glass of tea or water (optional).
Second breakfast: a serving of watermelon.
Dinner:
- rice porridge without salt in water without oil;
- watermelon.
Snack:
- 50 g of low-fat cottage cheese without sugar;
- 2 slices of watermelon.
Dinner: we cook the same as for lunch.
Day 3
First breakfast:
- unsweetened tea;
- 180 g of fat-free cottage cheese;
- fruit salad (half green apple + watermelon).
Second breakfast: watermelon - 2 small slices.
Dinner:
- 100 g of boiled chicken breast;
- salad (fresh cucumber + herbs), seasoned with olive oil or lemon juice.
- tea or water.
Snack: watermelon.
Dinner: vegetables, stewed, boiled or steamed.
Day 4
First breakfast:
- a serving of oatmeal without oil. It can be boiled or steamed overnight in a thermos;
- a small slice of hard cheese;
- tea.
Second breakfast: watermelon - 2-3 slices.
Dinner:
- 250 g of any lean meat cooked in a bain-marie or grill;
- vegetable salad (tomatoes + peppers + cucumbers) with olive oil;
- Water.
Snack: a few slices of watermelon.
Dinner:
- low-fat cottage cheese - 100 g;
- 1 pear or green apple.
Day 5
First breakfast:
- fruit salad (watermelon + green apple + prunes);
- tea.
Second breakfast: watermelon.
Dinner:
- fresh vegetable soup;
- a slice of black bread;
- tea.
Snack: 1 chicken egg (boiled or omelette).
Dinner: portion of "shock" watermelon - 400 g.
Eating in this way, during the course, you can lose up to 4-5 kg. If you need to lose more and still have the strength to continue, try sticking with this diet not for 5, but 10 days. Consequently, the menu of the first day is similar to the menu of the sixth day, etc.
How to get off the watermelon diet
The end of the dietary course does not mean at all that you can pounce predatory on previously forbidden smoked meats, pickles and sweets, since the so difficultly dropped kilograms can quickly return to their original places. Continue to eat light, healthy foods such as cereals, fresh and stewed vegetables, fruits, cooked meats, and lean fish. The portions of a rather boring watermelon can be reduced, but you should not completely exclude the striped berry from the menu. The transition will take as long as the diet itself.
Contraindications
The benefits of watermelon are an indisputable fact, but not everyone can consume it in large quantities. People with pathologies of the kidneys, choleretic and genitourinary systems are at risk. The miracle berry is contraindicated in the last trimester of pregnancy, during lactation and in diabetes mellitus.
And remember! A watermelon diet will help you achieve the desired result, but to maintain it you will have to lead a healthy lifestyle, stop smoking and abuse alcohol, and also say goodbye to the daily buns-cheesecakes. You can handle it! Good luck!